antiquesandartireland.com

Revolution, 1942 by Mary Swanzy (1882-1978) sold for a hammer price of 6,000.

A Connemara landscape by Paul Henry from the 1940’s was the top lot at Whyte’s sale of Irish and International art in Dublin last night. Estimated at 60,000-70,000 it sold for a hammer price of 68,000.  A screen print by Roy Lichtenstein – Still Life with Lobster – estimated at 12,000-15,000, sold for a hammer price of 21,000.  Over 90 per cent of works on offer found buyers.  Reading the News, an 1871 genre painting by the Co. Clare born painter Richard Staunton Cahill (1826-1904) sold for a hammer price of 14,000 over an estimate of 8,000-10,000. Crow Feathers by Tony O’Malley sold for a hammer of 9,500 over a top estimate of 8,000 and Revolution by Mary Swanzy estimated at 4,000-6,000 sold for 6,000 at hammer. A bronze sculpture by John Henry Foley (1818-1874) – Ino and Bacchus 1851 – with a top estimate of 4,000 made  a hammer price of 5,800.

(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for February 14, 2015).

After William Cuming – late 18th early 19th century Irish School – Half length portrait of Rev. John Kearney. UPDATE: THIS FAILED TO SELL at auction and was sold the following day for 1,750 to a private Irish collector.

An early 19th century Irish School portrait of a member of the Kearney family – President Obama’s direct Irish ancestors – comes up as lot 621 at Fonsie Mealy’s auction in Castlecomer on February 25.  The half length portrait of the Rev John Kearney, Provost of TCD and Bishop of Ossory, is in its original gilt frame and is estimated at 1,750-2,500.  Born of relatively humble origins in Dublin in 1741, John Kearney entered TCD at the age of 15 and was appointed Provost in 1799. He was a founder of the Royal Irish Academy in 1785. One of his daughters, Rose,married Hervey Pratt. He  inherited Castle Morres in 1831 on the death of his mother, a sister of the 2nd Viscount Mountmorres, and changed his name to de Montmorency.

At the same sale there is a set of early George II forks, property of Dean Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) (2,000-3,000) and engraved JS on each green ivory handle.  UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR 3,800 AT HAMMER.

President Barack Obama’s roots in Ireland go back to 1850, when Falmouth Kearney, the 19-year-old son of a local shoemaker, left Moneygall in Co. Offaly to begin a new life in the United States. The Kearney family probably originated in Tipperary before settling in County Offaly in the Irish midlands, then known as King’s County, in the 1700s. One branch of the family moved to Dublin and entered the very profitable business of making wigs. By helping out with the wig-making business, the midlands relatives were able to buy property rights in Moneygall and Shinrone around 1800. By the time wigs fell out of fashion, the Dublin Kearneys had moved into more established professions.  John Kearney’s father was a barber surgeon.

UPDATE: The painting was sold to a private collector in Ireland on the day after the auction for 1,750.

(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for February 17, 2015 for a note on the de Montmorency’s).

More than 300 lots of affordable art are on offer at Morgan O’Driscoll’s current “Off the Wall” on line art auction.  It will run until February 23.  The catalogue is on-line and bidding is underway.  Here is a small selection:

Louis le Brocquy – Swords Man (1,750-2,500  UPDATE: THIS MADE 1,800

Dan O’Neill – Two Figures in a Seascape (1,000-1,500) UPDATE: THIS MADE 3,800

William Crozier – West Cork Landscape (3,000-5,000)  UPDATE: THIS MADE 3,800

Gerard Dillon – Connemara Moon (400-600)  UPDATE: THIS MADE 380

Elizabeth Brophy – Flower Market (400-600)  UPDATE: THIS MADE 700

Colin Middleton – Abstract (1,000-1,500).  UPDATE: THIS MADE 1,400

Around 350 lots from the full spectrum of Post War and Contemporary art will come under the hammer at Christie’s First Open Sale in New York on March 6.  The sale will present works by an array of artists featured in the November auctions, but with price points that are accessible to a wide range of collectors. There is a choice of works by artists such as Jean Dubuffet, Jeff Koons, Yayoi Kusama, Robert Rauschenberg, Ed Ruscha, Theaster Gates, Thomas Houseago, Parker Ito, Rashid Johnson, Oscar Murillo, David Ostrowski, Seth Price, Christian Rosa, Sterling Ruby, Analia Saban, and Kelley Walker. The sale will begin with 24 works from the collection of Ruth Horwich, featuring an extensive collection of jewelry by Alexander Calder and works by John Chamberlain, Llyn Foulkes, Jim Nutt, Ed Paschke, and Andy Warhol amongst others.

First Open will give both new and seasoned buyers an opportunity to diversify their collections. Estimates vary from $8,000 up to $750,000.  All works will be exhibited at Christie’s Rockefeller Center Galleries from February 28 to March 3.

GERHARD RICHTER (B.1932)
Mustangs ($250,000=350,000) CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2015

Jewelry by ALEXANDER CALDER (1898-1976) from the Collection of Ruth Horwich CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2015

ANDY WARHOL (1928-1987)
Triple Dollar Sign ($750,000-950,000). Courtesy CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2015